Pirate King: An ATEEZ & ONEUS Novella

Chapter Nine

Wooyoung blinks as Hwanwoong stares stunned at the ATEEZ members standing on the deck of his ship. His eyes land on the small creature on Jongho's shoulder. Is that a dragon? Are there mermaids here too then?

"NOW!" San thunders, stomping a foot on the deck.

Jongho steps forward, startling Seonghwa and Hongjoong. "I heard you're looking for me?!"

"Big difference compared to hiding like a coward," Hwanwoong sneers, patting the holster for his own sword.

Jongho narrows his eyes. "Kind of a classless move kidnapping Wooyoung and threatening ATEEZ cause you're jealous of our talent." Malteez growls, flapping his wings in anger and hovering over Jongho's shoulder now.

Hwanwoong chuckles. "You get a cute little dragon and all of the sudden you have bravery for ages."

Malteez shoots at him and flies around the villainous man like an irritating insect. He lets out tiny jets of fire as well.

Jasmine emerges from the staircase and walks across the deck. "Hwanwoongie, what the hell is going--?"

Yeosang, spotting her and being closest, makes a split second decision and grabs her, pulling her into a headlock. He's thinking the worst and that she's an enemy too. Hongjoong swings the sword on her.

Hwanwoong swats Malteez away, sending the little dragon in a retreat back to Jongho. He sees Jasmine being held hostage by Yeosang with the tip of Hongjoong's sword at her throat.

Hwanwoong whips out his cutlass in response and holds it to Wooyoung's throat, causing Wooyoung to crane his neck back against the wooden pole. "You hurt her and I'll damage him."

Hongjoong lowers his sword, slightly, keeping his eyes trained on Hwanwoong. "Who is she?"

Hwanwoong spits. "What's it matter to you?"

San snatches the sword from Hongjoong and presses it to Jasmine's throat. "Don't play stupid!"

"Sannie, no!" Wooyoung screams. "She's innocent! She's his girlfriend!"

Hwanwoong glares at Wooyoung and presses the sword against his throat, drawing a tiny sliver of blood in the process.

Wooyoung gasps at the sudden pain.

"Girlfriend?" San questions, but he withdraws the sword from the redhead's neck. "You're in love with this ugly jerk?"

Yeosang snorts with laughter.

Jasmine stomps on Yeosang's foot, tearing herself free. She whips around to San and Yeosang, who are busting out laughing. "He wasn't that bad months ago. Geez. He used to be sweet and charming..."

Yeosang snorts harder. "SWEET?!"

"CHARMING?!" San blurts out, doubling over and dropping the sword on the deck.

Hongjoong rolls his eyes and picks the sword up.

Jasmine puts her hands on her hips. "He WAS!!!"

Hwanwoong puts the tip of the sword on Wooyoung's cheek, removing it from his neck and forces his head to the side. "She tell you this?"

Wooyoung grunts, feeling the sharp blade digging into his skin again. This time the skin of his cheek. "She did. She said you were super sweet, but then you became obsessed with jealousy and trying to take ATEEZ down."

Hwanwoong glares at Wooyoung, eyeing him up and down. Then he lowers the sword and drops down to his knees. "OH SEOHO, LEEDO, KEONHEE, RAVN, XION, PLEASE FORGIVE ME!"

Hongjoong holsters his sword, while Mingi and Seonghwa rush toward Hwanwoong. They drop down to him, Seonghwa looking sympathetically at him.

Hwanwoong shakes his head. "I don't deserve your pity. I was an absolute jerk."

"Yeah, times a hundred," Mingi growls. "But, the thing is, with us, we don't hold grudges against people."

Hwanwoong snaps his head up, blinking back tears. "Really?"

Seonghwa smiles at him, reaching for the loose sword. In a quick move, he pushes it along the deck, sending it back in Hongjoong's direction.

Hwanwoong manages a smile as well. He looks at Wooyoung and sees the blood. "Oh, God..."

Wooyoung grunts and struggles in the chains. "That's okay, continue your cute little moment, I'll remain uncomfortably in the chains here."

Hongjoong picks up the second sword and looks around the deck, starting with Jongho, who is playing around with Malteez and making cute faces at him. His eyes find Yunho, who is staring out the side of the ship through the telescope behind him. Then he turns and sees San and Yeosang are slowly calming and gathering themselves, earning a girlish punch from Jasmine to their shoulders. Finally, he looks back to see Seonghwa and Mingi helping Hwanwoong up to his feet.

Hongjoong walks over to them and passes Mingi the second sword. "Let's get Wooyoung out of those chains."

Hwanwoong nods.

Together, he, Seonghwa, Mingi and Hongjoong help to get the chains off of Wooyoung.

Wooyoung, free, races immediately for San, throwing his arms around him and giving him a big kiss on the cheek. "SANNIE!!"

"WOOYOUNGIE!!" San cries out.

Yeosang runs a hand through his hair, watching the two embrace.

"Wait, how'd you get here?" Hwanwoong suddenly asks. "I stole your hourglass, the transportation method..."

"Hwanwoong," Hongjoong says, slipping an arm around his neck. "Backups are crafted, just in case. There's always two."

Hwanwoong chuckles and nods. "Touche."

Wooyoung walks over to Jongho and throws his arms around him. "I don't blame you one moment for hiding in fear and leaving me to be taken hostage by a madman." He gives the maknae a squeeze and rests his head on Jongho's shoulder.

Jongho looks at him. "I'm sorry, Wooyoung-ah."

Yunho suddenly screams. "INCOMING!!"

Everyone gasps as there is a thunderous crash, followed by a violent rocking of the ship. Jasmine is flung overboard, along with Yeosang and Yunho. San falls on the desk and gets his leg trapped in a small hole. He gasps and pulls, but his leg won't budge.

Hwanwoong, Hongjoong, Seonghwa and Mingi share looks with one another.

There's a chorus of yells as a swarm of people dressed like pirates jump and drop onto the deck from various ropes all around them. A fishing net is flung toward Wooyoung and Jongho. Malteez, frightened, manages to barely escape, launching for Seonghwa and diving behind him.

"SANNIE!!" Wooyoung screams.

"NO! NO, NOT AGAIN!!" San shouts out, ripping at his leg with desperation as he watches the net snare Wooyoung and Jongho.

A team of pirates drag them off the ship and up one of the ropes, which is connected to a massive vessel that has slammed itself into Hwanwoong's. They both vanish from sight, screaming.

At that moment, San wrenches his leg free from the hole. He scrambles up to his feet as a scary-looking man with braids, a pirate hat and a sharp, jagged cutlass steps forward from all the chaos. It is a slight mystery as to where he'd come from.

He smirks and gestures to his friends to retreat and leave.

Hwanwoong, Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Mingi and San (who scampers to join them) stand staring at the man; Mingi and Hongjoong bravely hold their swords out before them. Malteez clings onto Seonghwa's shoulder with his kitten-like talons, poking his tiny head up to see what is happening.

"Terribly sorry to crash the party and fun here," the man sneers with a deep, booming voice. "The name's Captain Kanye West. The one who has a little score to settle with Choi Jongho."